Fortnite Returns to Apple App Store in U.S. After Nearly Five-Year Ban
After nearly five years off the platform, Epic Games’ blockbuster title Fortnite has officially returned to the Apple App Store in the United States.
The popular battle royale game was reinstated on Tuesday, marking the end of a prolonged standoff between Epic Games and Apple. The app had been banned from the App Store since 2020, following a legal dispute over Apple’s in-app purchase policies, which Epic openly challenged by implementing its own payment system within the game.
Though Fortnite was allowed back on Apple devices in the European Union last year under pressure from regulators enforcing the Digital Markets Act, U.S. users had remained without access on iPhones and iPads – until now.
Epic confirmed the game’s return via a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding that Fortnite is also currently available through the Epic Games Store and AltStore platforms in the EU.
Originally launched in 2017, Fortnite quickly gained global popularity for its free-to-play, last-player-standing gameplay. By the time Apple removed the game in 2020, Epic had amassed over 116 million users on Apple devices alone.
The reinstatement in the U.S. is being hailed as a significant win for Epic, as it resumes access to one of the world’s largest mobile gaming markets.
